Breech-operating mechanism of ordnance.



G. P. E. SCHNEIDER. BREEGH OPERATING MECHANISM OF ORDNANOB. APPLIOATIONFILED NOV. 14, 1905.

1,020,577, Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu.. WASHINGTON. u. c.

U. P. E. SCHNEIDER. BREEGH OPERATING MECHANISM OF ORDNANGB.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 14, 1905. I v 1 ,O2 O,577, Patented Mar. 19,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. P. E. SCHNEIDER. BREEGH OPERATING MECHANISM OF ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1905.

' Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 7 -WQ/%L W COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

G. P. E. SCHNEIDER. BREEOH OPERATING MECHANISM or ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1905. I 1,020,577. Patented Mar. 19,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, u. c.

CHARLES PROSPER EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF LE CREUZOT, FRANCE.

BREEC'H-OPERATING MECHANISM OF ORDNANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Application filed November 14, 1905. Serial No. 287,377.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES PRosPnR EUGENESCHNEIDER, a oltlzen of the Republic of France, residing at Le Creuzot,Saneet- Loire, France, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsRelating to the Breech-Operating Mechanism of Ordnance, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to automatically operated breechloading ordnance,and has for its object to provide a structure of this class which shallbe automatically operated by energy stored during the recoil and appliedupon counter-recoil of the gun to automatically open the breech, and,after load ing to automatically close the breech.

The invention further has for its object to provide automatic mechanismof the kind last described with means whereby the automaticallyoperating features maybe thrown out of operation and the breechmechanism manually operated either in opening or closing, or in bot-hopening and closing the breech.

The inventive idea involved may receive a great variety of mechanicalexpressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustration, is shown inthe accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figures 1 andl are to be read as a continuous view,and the same is true of Figs. 6 and 6 In said drawings Figs. 1 and 1together show a side elevation of the rear portion of the gun with partsin section on the line AA, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a section on the line13-13, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section to Fig. 2, the mechanismbeing shown in the position which the parts occupy for operation byhand. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevationof Fig. 2 looking from right to left. Figs. 6 and 6 together are a plancorresponding to Figs. 1 and 1 and Fig. 7 is a broken detail showing thesupport for the inclosing box or cylinder for the mechanism forautomatic operation.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicatelike parts throughout the several views, 11 is a beveled gear secured tothe upper end of the main hinge-pintle or bolt through which the breechmechanism is operated in ways wellknown in the art. This beveled gear 12is engaged by a beveled gear a on the interior end of a shaft a turningin suitable bearings provided on the breech of the gun.

The exterior portion of this shaft a has mounted thereon a sleeve 6 uponwhich there is integrally formed or otherwise secured a pinion b. Thesleeve 12 is capable of longitudinal adjustment along the exteriorportion of shaft a and has formed through its center a squared hole,which, when the parts are in position for automatic operation, as shownin Fig. 2, engages a squared portion 4 of the shaft a and thus iscompelled to revolve with the shaft. Exterior to the squared port-ion ofshaft a is a rounded portion 3 of such dimensions that the squaredopening through the sleeve 6 will just permit the sleeve to slide overthe rounded portion 3. On the exterior end of shaft a there is a sleeve16 secured to sleeve 6 by a channeled split ring 2, and on the exteriorend of the sleeve 16 there is mounted a hand-wheel 1. This hand-wheel iskeyed to sleeve 16 as by having a squared hole thereof fitting thesquared end of the sleeve, and is retained in position on the sleeve byspring-actuated bolt 8, see Fig. 3.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that the shaft a is providedwith two squared port-ions 4 and 5, with an intermediate round orcylindrical portion 3. As shown, these squared portions 4 and 5 have thecorners of the square slightly out or rounded, as will be bestunderstood by an inspection of Fig. 5. In the counter-bore in the end ofshaft (1, there is placed a spring-pressed counter-bolt 7 constructed asshown in Fig. 2, that is, with a notch or depressionformed therein, andsaid bolt is normally held pressed outward in the position shown in Fig.2 whereby a. bolt 6 is raised so as to enter either one of two annulargrooves a, z in the hub 16, thereby restraining the hub fromlongitudinal movement upon the shaft 05. By pushing in the counter-bolt7 the lock-bolt 6 will drop into the groove or depression of thecounter-bolt thereby freeing the hub 16, and the same may then be drawnfrom the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 to the position shown in Fig. 3as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. When the parts reach theposition shown in Fig. 3 the spring of the counter-bolt 7 will againforce it forward and it will then act to lift bolt 6 into the retaininggroove 2, as shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1, 1 6, 6*, d is a cylindrical casing mounted inbrackets y, y secured to the rear of the gun. Within this casing (Zthere is a rack bar 0 having on one end a rack for engagement with thepinion b on the shaft a, and at the other end a pair of pawls h, h,pivoted to the rod at 14, 14, the tails of said pawls being acted uponby beveled ring forced toward the pawls by means of a spring is reactingagainst a ring f screw-threaded upon the rack-bar 0, all as clearlyshown in Fig. 1*. Surrounding the rack-bar c and reacting between thescrew-threaded collar f thereon and the rear end of the casing d is aspring 6. In the front end of the casing d there is a quick threaded nutZ provided with suitable camfaces which, when the nut Z is turned in onedirection, acts to engage the pawls and hold them out of operation ashereinafter described, but when said nut is turned in the otherdirection it leaves the pawls free to move inward, as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter. The flanged nut Z is provided with two oppositelyplaced notches into which enters spring-pressed catch m, whereby the nutZ can be held in either of two positions for permitting the pawls to actor for locking them against action.

1 The rack-bar 0 is hollow at its forward portion, within which hollowportion there is placed a buffer bar 0 carried by a support p fixed uponthe cheek of the relatively buffer rod or bar is retained in the support7) by an elastic mounting which serves to deaden the shock at thebeginning of the opening of the breech, and furthermore, the same is soconstructed as to permit the rod or bar 0 to yield whenever the forcerequired to open the breech would exceed the strength of the parts. Forthis purpose the forward end of the buffer .rod 0 is surrounded by abuffer box 10 inclosing a spring which surrounds the rod 0 and bearsagainst a collar on the rod 0 and against a screw-threaded adjustableplug in the forward end of the buffer-box 10, as clearly shown in'Fig.l. The bufier box 10 is free to slide in the bearing support 32 but forthe action of a pawl 9 which engages against a shoulder'formed by anotch cut in the buffer box, the pawl being pivoted at 17 and normallyheld in engagement with the buffer box by a strong spring 13. I The pawlis extended rearward and at its extremity is bent downward inright-angular form and provided with an anti-frictional roller 11 takingin a short groove 12 in the bufl'er bar 0, the rearward end of thegroove being sharply inclined. When the buffer box 10 is freed fromengagement with the pawl 9 and the buffer bar is driven forward it islimited in its forward movement by an angle piece 18, clearly shown inFigs. 1" and 6. v

The diameter of the casing d is materially contracted about mid-way ofits length, forming cam-like shoulders n which act upon the pawls h, hin a manner hereinafter to be described. There is also provided in therack-bar a notch s which, when the rack-bar has been moved to theposition to open the breech, as hereinafter described, is engaged by acatch 1", Fig. 1, under the influence of a spring 15. This catch 1" isengaged by a lever t, as shown in Fig. 2,.by which it may be raisedagainst the tension of its spring.

Before the gun has been fired the different operations of opening andclosing the breech are necessarily effected by hand, and this isaccomplished by placing the hand-wheel l and its connected parts in theposition shown in Fig. 3, where it will be seen, the pinion Z) is out ofengagement with the rack 0, the hand-wheel, however, being on thesquared portion 5 of the shaft a is keyed thereto so that by turning thehand-wheel the shaft a will be operated, and, through the pinions o anda, the hinge-pintle of the breech-mechanism will be actuated to open thebreech. The gun having been loaded and the breech closed by the reversemovement of the handwheel -1, the gunner then pushes in the counter-bolt7, thereby permitting thecatch bolt 6, Fig. 3, to drop out of theannular locking groove 2 thus freeing the sleeve 16 and its connectedparts so that the same may be pushed inward along the shaft a until thepinion b engages the rack c, as shown in Fig. 2, at which time thecounterbolt 7 is driven outward by its spring and raises the catch 6into its groove 2, thereby locking the parts in the position shown inFig. 2. In this position the hub 16 of handwheel 1 is on the roundedportion 5 of shaft (4, and therefore is not revolved when the shaftrevolves. The pinion sleeve 2'), however, is upon the squared portion 4of the shaft a, and is therefore keyed to and revolves therewith. Withthe parts in this position, that is, in the position shown in Figs. 1,,1 and 2, the gun being fired, the casing cl with all of its containedparts except the buffer rod 0 moves rearward with the gun as well astheshaft a and the pinion b, the recoil of the gun being controlled by therecoiltion as to engage and retain the pawls h, h

in the position shown in Fig. 1 When, however, the hand-wheel and itsconnected parts are adjusted in the posit-ion shown in pawls fall intothe'annular groove g on the buffer rod 0, being actuated by the beveledring j, under the influence of the Spring 70.

The'result o'fthis engagement of the pawls with the buffer rod 0 isthat'all of the parts connected to the gun, including casing (Z and itsincluded elements move forward on counter-recoil of the gun except therackbar 0. The result of this relative movement between the gun and therack-bar is the revolution of the pinion b and theengagement with therack-bar c, and hence the revolution of shaft a, which in turn, throughthe pinions o and u operates the pintle 1 to open the breech mechanism.As the cylinder moves forward with relation to the'rackbar the .pawls hengaging the groove 9 on the buffer rod) the beveled shoulders n of thecasing cZ'are brought'in contact with the tails i of the pawls, therebydepressing them and lifting their noses out of the groove 9, and therack-bar 0 would then beat liberty to move forward under the tension ofits spring 6 but for the fact that, just as the pawls are lifted fromthe groove 9, the catch 7* comes opposite toand takes into the notch son the rack-bar. In this position the pawls are held out of engagementwith the beveled bar 0 and the rack-bar is free to move forward underthe influence of its spring but for theengagementof the catch 1' withthe notch 3. When the gun has been loaded and the gunner desires toclose the breech, he has but to depress the lever t, thereby lifting thecatch 1' out of'the notch s, whereupon the rack-bar is driven forward byits spring '0 and thereby actuates zthe.

' ing said spring, an automatic device independent of the breechmechanism for lockshaft (4 to close the breech.

During the time that the pawls h are in' engagement with the groove qonthe buffer bar to effect the opening of the breech mech anism, andparticularly at the instant when the shock of counter-recoil is receivedupon the buffer bar 0, such shock is absorbed to a certain extent by thespring surrounding the rod in the buffer casing 10'. The yielding ofthis spring permits relative movement between the buffer rod 0 and theend of pawl 9 where the same takes into the notch 12 on the rod,.andshould the shock be sufiicient to force the tapering rear end of thegroove 12 under the anti-frictional roller 11 on the end of the pawlsaid pawl would be lifted, thereby disengaging the pawl from the bufferbox 9, whereupon the latter then moves forward with the bufler-bar,being restrained from such forward movement only when it comes intocontact with the stop 18.

It will be understood that the forward thrust of the rack-bar 0 underthe influence of itsspring is limited and controlled by a nut g screwedonto the rear end of the rod and impinging against the bearing bracket,as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that there is providedby the presentinvention automatic mechanism by which the breech of thegun is opened by the energy of recoil when the same is acting to effectcounter-recoil of the gun, and that such automatic mechanism is soconstructed that in case of any severe strains such as might cause thebreakage of any parts of the mechanism, an escapement is providedwhereby, before the strain reaches the dangerous point, the parts willyield. Moreover, the entire mechanism is readily and speedily convertedfrom an automatic to a manually operated device, and vice versa. It willalso be perceived that by mounting the collar 7' by means ofscrew-threads upon the beveled bar 0 the same may be adjusted so as toincrease or decrease the tension of spring 6.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. The combination with a gun, of a spring, automatic means actuatedby energy due to the recoil of said gun for compressing said spring, anautoma'ticdevice independent of the breech mechanism for locking saidspring in its compressed position, a device for releasing the same,means actuated alternately by theenergy of recoil and by said spring forrespectively opening and closing the breech of said gun automatically,and devices 'for opening and closing said breech manually independent ofsaid recoil and said spring.

2. The combination with a gun, of a spring, automatic means actuated byenergy due to the recoil ofsaid gun for compressing said spring in itscompressed position, a device for releasing the same, means actuatedalternately by the energy of recoiland by said spring for respectivelyopening and closing the breech of said gun automatically, devices foropening and closing said breech manually independent of said recoil andsaid spring, and means for throwing said automatically-operating meansout of gear and said manually-operating devices into gear and viceversa.

3. The combination with a gun and its breech block, a pivot for saidblock, a gear carried by said pivot, a countershaft actuating said gear,means for manually operating said countershaft, and additional means forautomatically operating said countershaft consisting of a rack carriedby the gun and co-acting with said countershaft, automatic means forlocking said rack independent-1y of the gun to hold it in the rearwardposition given by the recoil of the gun, a

spring connected withsaid rack and compressed by the counter recoil ofthe gun, and means for releasing said rack whereby said spring willactuate the rack and thereby the breech-block.

4. The combination with a gun anda sta-' tionary support therefor, of atube detach-.

ably looked upon said gun, a rack bar and a block.

5. The combination with a gun and a stationary support therefor, uponwhich the former has relative movement during its recoil and its returnto battery, a sprlng and a rack bar interposed between sald parts,

said rack bar engaging a gear that operates the breech-block, and saidspring being compressed by the counter recoil of the gun,

means for locking said rack bar in its rearward position, and means forpermitting prior or subsequent movement of the gun without compressingsaid spring.

6. The combination of a gun, a stationary support therefor, a tubecarried by said gun and containing a rack and also a spring, a gearactuated by said rack and serving to operate the breecl1block, and meansoperat ing to compress said spring on counter recoil and toautomatically actuate the rack and gear to operate the breech-block.

7. The combination with a gun and its breech block, of a relativelystationary support for said gun, a reciprocating bar capable of beinglocked with respect to said sup port, a relatively stationary memberarranged parallel withsaid bar and along which said bar reciprocates, ashoulder provided on said member, connections between said bar andbreech block, a spring associated with said bar and movable therewitholn recoil, and a member movable with said spring and engaging saidshoulder for co pressing said spring on counter recoil an automaticallyoperating the breech block.

8. The combination of a gun, a stationary support therefor, a tubecarried by said gun and containing a reciprocating rack, a springassociated with said rack and continuously inclosed in said tube andmovable with said rack, a relatively stationary member associated withsaid rack, an abutment provided on said member, and a member movablewith said spring and engaging said abutment-whereby said spring iscompressed on counter recoil.

9. The combination with a gun and its breech-block, a stationary supporttherefor, of telescoping members connecting the breech-block and thesupport, a spring interposed between said members, an abutment providedon one of said telescoping members, a catch provided on the othertelescoping member and engaging said abutment to hold said members inextended position, and means whereby said spring is compressed oncounter recoil and the breechblock automatically actuated.

Signed at Le Creuzot, Sane-et-Loire France this 6th day of September1905.

\Vitnesses EDMOND BLAisn, ERNEST VALoT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

